RAF Fairford

RAF Fairford
Characteristics
ICAO code	EGVA
IATA code	FFD
Coordinates	51 ° 40 '56 "  N , 1 ° 47' 24"  W Coordinates: 51 ° 40 '56 "  N , 1 ° 47' 24"  W.
Height above MSL	87 m (285  ft )
Transport links
Distance from the city center	25 km north of Swindon
Street	2 km to the
Basic data
opening	1943
operator	United States Air Forces in Europe
Start-and runway
09/27	3046 m × 61 m asphalt

The Royal Air Force Station Fairford , or RAF Fairford for short , is a British air force base of the Royal Air Force (RAF) in Gloucestershire ( England ), which is used by the United States Air Forces in Europe (USAFE). The base is about 25 km north of Swindon .

history

Second World War

RAF Fairford was commissioned in 1943 as a makeshift base for the US Army Air Force during World War II . There, a war was a military hospital for wounded American soldiers and pilots established. In early 1944 the airfield was expanded to support the invasion of Normandy .

RAF Fairford 1945-1964

In 1948 the USAF withdrew from the base because it could no longer meet the requirements of new types of aircraft. However, in 1950 it returned to the base and began a major modernization. In the following years, small groups of bombers were stationed in Fairford, but most of them only stayed for a few months. In 1954, the US began stationing nuclear weapons in Europe and chose Fairford as one of its primary bomber bases. Several squadrons with B-47 bombers were then stationed in Fairford. In addition, the base received KC-97 tanker aircraft until 1963. In 1964, however, all units were surprisingly withdrawn from Fairford because the Pentagon had chosen RAF Mildenhall as its central base. On June 1, 1964, the base was officially handed over to the Royal Air Force (RAF).

RAF Fairford 1964-1989

Even after the takeover by the Royal Air Force (RAF), no secure future was in sight for the station. The RAF initially used the base for training purposes for fighter pilots, then from 1965 to 1966 as the base of the Red Arrows aerobatic team . From 1966 to 1969, Fairford served as a base for various types of transport aircraft, including the first C-130 Hercules , but these were soon withdrawn to Lyneham . Fairford did not come into the public eye until spring 1969. The base had been selected as a test center for the prototype of the Concorde . On April 9, the Concorde completed its first flight from Filton near Bristol to Fairford, where extensive tests were carried out, including the first supersonic flight. The base was used as a test center by Concorde until 1978. In 1973 several Vulcan bombers were stationed in Fairford for a few months .

In 1978 the USAF showed renewed interest in the grassroots. The RAF and the USAF then signed a license agreement that is still in place today. The base remained under British control, but was allowed to be used by the USA without restriction. In the same year, the first KC-135 tanker aircraft were stationed in Fairford. This should now be the new task of the base until the end of the Cold War . In addition, strategic bombers such as the B-52 were now regularly visiting the base. Together with the British tanker aircraft from RAF Brize Norton , Fairford was responsible for refueling American aircraft over Europe until 1989.

RAF Fairford since 1990

With the end of the Cold War, the enormous tanker capacities were no longer needed. The few tankers still needed were moved to Brize Norton. The new task for Fairford crystallized as early as 1991. During the Second Gulf War , B-52 bombers made dozens of sorties against Iraq. Since then, the air base has served as a base for American long-range bombers in Europe. From 2000 to 2002 there was extensive modernization of the base, largely financed by NATO . Almost all types of USAF aircraft use the base today, primarily for training purposes. According to the current US stationing concept, the base is a forward operating site . The base is also an alternate airport for the RAF Brize Norton Air Force Base.

In 2009 the US military announced that it would withdraw all units from Fairford by September 2010 and return the base to the sole responsibility of the Royal Air Force. The USAF has withdrawn all of its military personnel from Fairford. The base is now only maintained by a few dozen civilian employees, so that it can be put back into operation within 48 hours if necessary. From 2023, after RAF Mildenhall closes, Fairford will become the advanced base of operations of the 95th Reconnaissance Squadron and the 488th Intelligence Squadron of the 55th Squadron in Offutt .

Furnishing

Fairford has a 3000 m long and 55 m wide runway in an east-west direction. Two other runways, 1750 m and 1150 m long, each at an angle of 45 ° to the main runway, are only used as taxiways. To the south of the main runway are the tower and parking spaces for several dozen aircraft, most of which were used by B-52 and B-1 bombers. To the north there are hangars and accommodations for soldiers.

Since Fairford serves primarily as a crisis response center, only about 450 people are stationed on the base in peacetime. In the event of a war, however, there are up to 3000. During the operating time of the space shuttle , in addition to the military personnel of the RAF and USAF, a NASA emergency team was constantly on site, which is specially trained for the emergency landing of a space shuttle because the airfield is a possible one Emergency landing site in the event of an unscheduled landing. This unit was also prepared for emergency landings by civil and military aircraft and equipped accordingly.

Royal International Air Tattoo (RIAT)

Red Arrows , RIAT 2016

The world's largest military air show , the International Air Tattoo , has been taking place at RAF Fairford Station since 1985 - initially every two years and since 1995 annually. In 1996 the air show was ennobled by the Queen and renamed the Royal International Air Tattoo .

The focus is on military aircraft and helicopters from around the world. Traditionally, Great Britain and the USA are most strongly represented, providing around half of the up to 400 aircraft. In 2004, 168,000 spectators attended the two-day event. In contrast to the Farnborough Air Show or the Berlin International Air and Space Exhibition , the RIAT is not designed commercially. Nevertheless, alongside classics such as the Spitfire or current aircraft such as the Harrier, prototypes and future projects are also presented here. The highlight is a number of flight demonstrations and the like. a. of aerobatics stagger as the Red Arrows . High safety standards apply here, especially with regard to the minimum flight altitude during the demonstrations.

Trivia

• The first landing of an airplane in Fairford after the conversion in 1950 happened only by accident. The pilots of a USAF C-47 had mistaken the Fairford base for the actual destination, RAF Brize Norton , and only noticed their mistake after landing.

Web links

Commons : RAF Fairford  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

• Unofficial website of the RAF Fairford
• Royal International Air Tattoo (RIAT) website

Individual evidence

1. ^ RAF Fairford , House of Commons Hansard. December 16, 2009. 
2. ↑ Hansard 11 Feb 2011: Column WA93
3. ^ Spy plane squadrons to move to RAF Fairford with hundreds of US Air Force families, Swindon Advertiser, November 21, 2018
4. ^ Space Shuttle Emergency Landing Sites. GlobalSecurity.org, accessed September 14, 2011 .